Alexander Keith's Cascade Hop Ale | Alexander Keith's

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I expected this to be better than it was. I'm not sure why. I was hoping for something reasonably close to a West Coast-style IPA, and I figured this was a good choice to get my Dad away from only ever drinking Keith's IPA. Well, neither of us liked it.

A: one finger of head, amber, visible carbonation, slightly cloudy
S: MILDLY hoppy, not detecting a whole lot of anything, just a wee bit of citrus
T: mild and boring, like lager. nowhere close to an IPA.
F: thin.
O: disappointing.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a orange copper color with great clarity and bubbles seen coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Pale copper with a finger of vigorous, fluffy, short-lived head. Many small fast-moving bubbles. Crystal clear as befits a macro.

Grapefruit/floral/spice notes from the hops, over a backbone of smooth sweet maltiness. Exactly what you'd expect a well-made (if conservative) single-hop Cascade APA to smell like.

The taste follows the theme of "straightforward and well-executed." A proper balance of bitter and sweet, over which blooms a Cascade bouquet. No off-flavors, surprises, or bold stylistic choices - just quality ingredients and quality technique. How about that!

If there's anything to complain about it's the weak head retention and the arguably excessive carbonation, but the first is a minor point and the second is more a matter of taste.

I'm very glad that Keith's has decided to try and poach the craft market, and I frankly feel like this beer has lost at least 5-10 rating points simply because of the brewer's name. Let's face facts: just being a craft brewer doesn't inherently make your product better, and vice versa. It's very clear to me that Keith's set out with a reasonable objective in mind - to mass-produce a solid, credible, to-style American Pale Ale that's conservative enough to draw in craft-naive consumers - and succeeded exactly. Making it a single-hop brew, with a "sister" that uses very different hops, was a nice little bonus. Godspeed Keith's - your main product line may be forgettable swill, but you guys clearly know what you're doing and I wish you all the best.

Crisp Auburn color. Generous 3 fingers of head is poured and has some retention time. Head on top gives a creamy white appearance. Lots of carbonation is apparent

Smell – Hops are present but not overbearing or too powerful. Orange rind and maybe a hint of grapefruit are also present.

Tatse- The hops and bitterness shine through but there's also a subtle sweetness that comes through on the back end of sipping. This seems a bit strange in this beer and detracts slightly from the taste in my mind. This is despite being somewhat hoppy, piney citrusy on the nose. The flavor of hops and the orange / grapefruit is brief and fleeting, does not linger.

Mouthfeel- Good mouthfeel yet not quite as carbonated as is apparent upon pouring. A little more watery than expected.

Overall - A fine effort and one of my favorites from Keith’s but if you’re looking for a great IPA this is not it. Nonetheless this is a good transition beer if you are new to the craft beer stream and given its accessibility (especially in Canada) it may be seen as a stepping stone to wide world of craft beer.

Well, it's more of an IPA than the original Keith's. I'll give it that. Pours a decent golden colour with a thick white head that dissipates a little slower than the average swill. Smells of caramel, grapefruit, orange rind and bread. Not that bitter smelling. Tastes... Not that bad. More bitter and citrusy than the scent would have you believe. Starts of caramel and bready, which quickly turns into citrus. Lemon, grapefruit, ruby orange peel. For a mass produced product, this is pretty damn decent. I'd drink it again. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium, and somewhat creamy.